US576231A

US576231A - Steam steering-gear

Info

Publication number: US576231A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 1914-02-02

Description

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1'.

I F. F- SCHOFIBLD.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.`

(No Model.)

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STEAM STEERING GEAR.

Patented' Feb. 2, 1897. y

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FREDERICK F. SCHOFIELD, OF EVERETT, VASHINGTON.

STEAM STEERING==GEAR.

SPECIFICATION formingl part of Letters Patent No. 576,231, dated February 2, 1897. Application iilcd March 5, 1896. 'Serial No. 581,958. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK F. SCHO- FIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Snohomish and State of Washington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Steam Steering-Gears; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention consists of a steam steeringgear for boats. The details of its construction will be more fully set out in the specifications following, reference being had to the d rawin gs, forming a part thereof, in Which- Figure lis a central sectional View through the steam cylinder and valve, and Fig. 2 a similar View oi' a modified form of construction in which the valve is outside the cylinder.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 the valve is entirely inside the piston. The cylinder A is secured by its base to the deck or other portion of the boat. The rod G of the piston B extends through each end of the cyl inder, and upon each outer end has an eye C', to which are attached the cables or chains controlling the rudder.

The piston B has a very long bearing on the cylinder and is deeply cupped on each side. Upon one side of the cylinder and in the middle of its length at l is a port to which is at tachedthesteam-pipe. Similarlyplacedupon the opposite side of the cylinder is the exhaust-port 6. In the outer surface of the piston and so placed as to be at all points in its stroke in communication, respectively, With the cylinder admission and exhaust ports are the passages 2 and 5. These passages must be in length at least equal to the length of the piston-stroke. At opposite ends of these passages are the valve-ports 3 3 and 4i 4c, leading through the piston-Wall to the interior of the cylinder and acting, respectively, as admission and exhaust ports.

The inner surfaces of the recessed or cupped ends of the piston are finished to form seats for the valves V V. These valves are either piston-valves, having openings, as c, through their Webs, or are of cross-head or I shape,

having steampassages at their sides. The object is that they shall not act as pistons to impede the passage of steam, but lshall permit a free circulation of steam from one side to the other. The valves are fixed to sleeves or tubes D, Which surround the piston-rod and pass through the cylinder-head and are attached to arms Dl outside the cylinder. Stuiing boxes or glands (l2 and C3 n pon the outer ends of the sleeve and on the cylinder-heads prevent leakage of steam. The arms D" are each attached at one end to the ends of the rack E, which slides in guides E upon the ends of` the cylinder. A pinion F, which meshes With this rack, is attached to a fixed shaft, and the steering-Wheel F is either attached to the same shaft or connected toit by cable or otherwise from a distance, so that the pinion Will move in unison With the handwheel.

If the hand-Wheel be turned, the pinion will be turned and the rack will slide in its guides. Through the arms D and the sleeves D this will move the valves. The position shown in Fig. l is the position of rest. If the valve be moved, for instance, to the right, the ports 3 and 4 will be simultaneously opened. rlhis will admit live steam through the port 3a to the left side of the piston and exhaust the steam from the right side of the piston through the port e.

As long as the motion of the hand-Wheel keeps the valve moving the piston Will closely follow. Then the motion of the valve stops, the steam behind the piston will move it a little farther, or until it has closed the ad* mission-port on one side and the exhaust-port on the other. lf the steam should have sufcient power to carry the piston still farther, it will open the opposite exhaust and steam ports to those just in use, and a portion of the steam j ust acting will be exhausted and a little steam be admitted to the opposite side. The same Will happen if a Wave or any other force acting upon the rudder moves the piston a little. It is impossible for the piston to move but a very short distance unless the valve is moved. If the piston is moved a little beyond the central point of the valves, it is quickly and automatically returned to the central point. Y

If it is desired to lock the rudder in any position, the rack E may be clamped by the bolt and handuvheel E3, acting upon the gib IOO E2. The valve is perfectly balanced, and the only resistance to its motion is the friction of the stufng-boxes and bearings for the Valve and rack. This may be made very small.

A slightly-different form of my device is shown in Fig. 2. In this the valve is removed from the power-cylinder and is placed in a separate or valve cylinder alongside. The principle of its action is, however, the same. The power and the valve cylinders are connected at their ends by ports 7. These act alternately as admission and exhaust ports, just as in an ordinary steam-cylinder.

The valve-cylinder I contains the valves, which consist of a long piston in the form of a hollow cylinder V', which is connected to the power-piston B by the rods Gr, arms D, and piston-rod C and moves in harmony therewith. Within this cylinder-valve V' is the piston-valve V2, connected by the rods G and arms D2 t0 the rack-bar E.

The cylinder-valve V and piston-valve V2 have ports corresponding` to the ports of the device, as shown in Fig. 1. The steam admission is by a central port l to a steam-passage 2 in the outer surface of the cylindervalve. From thence it passes by ports 3 and 3 an d openings v in the ends of the cylindervalve V to the ends of the cylinder and thence by the ports 7 to either end of the cylinder.

The cylinder-valve V, being connected to the piston B, is in realitya part of it, and its position is controlled thereby through the motion of the valve V2, precisely as described for the device shown in Fig. 1. It is evident that my device may be operated as well by compressed air, water, or any other fluid as by steam.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination in a steam steeringgear of a power-cylinder, a piston therein connected to and moving the rudder, a hollow cylinder connected to and moving with the piston, the piston having longitudinal passages connected with the supply and exhaust pipes and ports communicating therefrom to opposite ends of the power-cylinder, with valves movable by the steering-wheel and adapted to simultaneously uncover a steam and an exhaust port upon opposite sides of the piston, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a steam steering-gear the combination-of a power-cylinder, a piston therein connected to and moving the rudder, and having longitudinal supply and exhaust passages therein and ports connecting therefrom to hollow orcup-shaped ends of the piston, with valves within said cupped ends and upon opposite sides of the piston controlling said ports, sleeves surrounding the piston-rod attached to the valves upon their inner ends and extending outside the cylinder, and positive connections from the steering-Wheel to said sleeves, substantially as shown and described.

In a steam steering-gear the combination of a power-cylinder, a piston connected to and operating the rudder and having supply and exhaust ports therein connecting with opposite sides of the piston, with valves movable with the piston and controlling the said ports, sleeves surrounding the pistonrod and connected at their inner ends with said valves, a rack-bar movable longitudinally the cylinder in guides, a pinion meshing therewith and controlled from the steering-wheel, and connections from the rackbar to the outer ends of the valve-sleeves, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK F. SCI-IOFIELD.

Vitnesses:

GEO. W. CORNWALL, JNo. W. Cov-ET.